Charles Edward Taylor passed away on July 1, 2017. He was born to Willie Robert and Pearl Ella (Hewitt) Taylor in Wellington TX on July 7, 1941.

Charles attended Booker T. Washington school and became active in basketball, as well as, worked at the movie theater running the Friday night flix. He married GlenDean Taylor Bates and had 3 children in TX. Years past then he moved to Phoenix in the late 1960's. He worked in sales but always wanted to carry on his family bbq recipe so he opened Poor Boy BBQ in West Phoenix.  Charles was so well known that even the late Senator Barry Goldwater, attended his open house.

He remarried his second wife, Zula Eldridge who had three boys Charles helped raise but later on divorced after 17 years marriage. He then met his third wife Carrie, dated and married then having two more children. Charles always had the bigger picture in mind. So he moved onto bigger things when he started Charlie Taylor Construction Company. At that time he was nominated to be the first black man to become a member of the Association Of Minority Contractors, as part of the Department Of Commerce under President Ronald Reagan. A lot of the riprap along the Colorado River was done by his construction company. Other accomplishments were the groundwork for Terminal 3 of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Charles also worked to save the wildlife by providing escapes for them along the Central AZ Water Project, from the Colorado River to Tucson. Charles loved to entertain! He was a great blues singer who frequented the nightlife often (Stormy Monday was his song) and he even performed with the late Wayman Tisdale at a charity event. You might remember seeing him at the Phoenix Suns games in the purple wig, always hollering at the referees saying, “YOU NEED MY GLASSES” for the calls he thought were bad. At the Suns games his seats were right in front of the Bidwells' (owners of the Cardinals), so he always kept in touch with Nicole Bidwell and kidded her about football and basketball. 

Charles, his wife and two children opened up a Sir Charles BBQ restaurant on 12th St and Northern and then on 23rd St and Bell, only to have the Phoenix Suns players and many other celebrities dine there. He was successful in bottling his most famous sauce to supply local Phoenix grocery stores selling his famous bbq sauce. He entered his sauce to a national blind folded BBQ contest to win 13th place in over 250 entries and making news for outstanding reviews. He will be greatly missed.

Charles will be greatly missed by his son, Tony Taylor, granddaughter, Ashlea Taylor. Charles Taylor Jr (Son) granddaughter Katrina Taylor, great grandchildren Sofia, Jesus & Juelz. Debra Lynn Green (Daughter) husband Willie and grandchildren, Leticia Taylor & Cesley. Tiffany Skiba (Daughter) her husband, Zak Skiba, grandchildren Justin Taylor, Kiera Skiba, Liam Skiba. Israel Taylor (Son) his wife Amanda, grandchild, Jayden Taylor. Carrie Floding,Taylor, ex- spouse Betty Maltbia (Sister) nieces and nephews Brandy Woodley her husband Jay and 3 girls, Randy Maltbia and his wife Kelly and 2 sons, Robert Taylor his wife Colleen and son and daughter. Bruce, Ray and Ronnie Mayberry (Stepsons). So many other family, cousins, and friends to name.

Services and Arrangements:

The immediate family will have a small intimate service in Wisconsin at a later date.

Charles was an organ donor, so the family honored his wishes, and donated him to help improve education and medical science before he was then cremated.

CHARLES E TAYLOR: YOU LEFT A LEGACY AND WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED. WE LOVE AND MISS YOU. Your book is being published soon to share your story on today's young black athletes.